Anxious to restore the luster of the Japanese “brand” in the wake of the disasters triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the government has launched a cultural diplomacy offensive that builds on the current popularity of Japanese pop culture. Greater effort will be needed, however, to transmit the deeper, more enduring values of Japanese culture.

The government’s irresponsible economic policies are imperiling recovery and bringing efforts to rebuild Tōhoku’s shattered industrial sector to a standstill. This discredited administration must step down immediately for the good of the country, says economist Nariai Osamu.

On August 4, Commissioner for Cultural Affairs Kondō Seiichi attended the opening ceremony of the 35th All-Japan High School Cultural Festival in Fukushima Prefecture, and came away deeply impressed by the determination of the students and their expressions of hope for the future.

Freelance writer Hirose Tatsuya and photographer Kuyama Shiromasa continue their journey south through the stricken Tōhoku region. As they make their way down the shattered coast they come to realize that the damage suffered by the communities and landscapes of this part of Japan is far from uniform.

The nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant has confronted Japan with major problems it must address to move forward. Tokyo resident Chris Salzberg explores the way in which some online commentators are taking the lead in exploring the various sides of the issues and reaching their own conclusions through reasoned debate.

The rebuilding effort in Tōhoku following the March 11 disaster is making progress, but the needs of children there have often been overlooked. Sadamatsu Eiichi, the COO and program director of Save the Children Japan, says that the affected communities need to draw on the energy and ideas of children, who are eager to help.

The process of rebuilding from the disaster of March 11 has the potential to become a turning point in Japanese history and the first step toward a new kind of civilization. Kondō Seiichi, commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, calls on young people from around the world to join Japan as it works to build a new future.

The March 11 earthquake and tsunami caused major damage to schools, disrupting the lives of thousands of young people throughout the region. Fukiura Tadamasa, president of the Eurasia 21 Research Institute, reports on national and international efforts to get students’ extracurricular club activities up and running again.

Ōtomo Yoshihide, internationally famous as a musician in genres including noise music and free improvisation, introduces Project Fukushima! On August 15 the organization plans to stage a festival in Fukushima, with simultaneous events to be held all around the world, to focus attention on the situation in the area following the nuclear power plant accident.